A Tale of Betrayal, Enchantment, and Unholy Pacts (Touch of the Fey, #3) / Touch of the Fey (ePub)

Enigmatic Lord Damon encounters a lustful feline fey, and must bargain with his flesh in order to learn the truth about his love, Cora. Meanwhile, the lecherous Lord Vallen has arrived to personally retrieve his reluctant bride. It is becoming clearer that lies and deceit have torn the lovers apart, and a new danger lurks in the form of a sensual serpent Vallen has summoned to do his bidding.

Excerpt:

The long body of a feline humanoid languished on a branch above him. It had not been there before. It traced a taloned finger across the branch, ribbons of bark coiling up with each stroke. Short, sleek yellow and red fur striped down its unclothed back. A playful tail curled around its dangling ankle. Damon scowled.

"I apologize if this is your tree. I am rested now," he bowed, "and I shall take my leave." He knew better than to taunt any magical creature, especially in its own home.

"Leaving so soooon?" it purred out its syllables. "Lord Damon, always running." His eyes narrowed. The fairy must have recognized his house colors. He turned and continued to stride quickly away. Its bright green eyes opened startlingly wide and it propped itself up on the branch. "You should stay, Lord Damon. We enjoy to speak with your features. So rarely do we see draykon in this age."

He sucked in his breath and turned back, tense and wary.

"What did you say?" he whispered. The cat fey rolled onto its back and purred loudly.

"Yessssstaaay. You enjoy truths, we can give them," its words hummed constantly with the undercurrent of purrs. Damon shook his head. Perhaps he hadn't heard correctly. He needed to leave before this fey trapped him in riddles. He backed away. The catling flipped over and gripped the branches with its claws. "Why do you try to hide from us when you cannot? Lord Damon of draykon, you wish to hear of your love and her loss. We will tell."

He halted.

"How do you know..." he gulped down his words. "You know about... her?"

"Coooorrraaaa," it hissed her name, leaning forward.

Damon stalked quickly back to the tree.
"What can you tell me of her?" he asked. The fey stretched languidly and gripped the tree trunk. It pulled itself halfway down to hang upside down and gaze directly into his eyes where the Lord stood a foot away.

"Some and all things. But you wish to know only of love," it grinned. "We will tell, for a price."

He clenched his jaw. He had to tread carefully, but this was something for which he would bargain.

"What do you want?"

The bright green orbs flashed wide. Its lithe body flipped and it launched itself out to pounce onto Damon's broad chest. He swayed but held his feet. Slim, long limbs creeped around his torso and the prehensile tail twirled onto his leg.

"You!" it trilled happily.